With games like Bayonetta, Vanquish, Wonderful 101 and MadWorld in its back catalogue, it's little surprise that Japanese developer PlatinumGames has gained a reputation for tight, action-packed titles that mix stunning visuals with intricate and rewarding gameplay mechanics. While its games haven't always been the commercial smash hits they deserve to be, they ordinarily gain rave reviews and are lauded by both press and gamers alike. When PlatinumGames releases something, it's usually a good idea to sit up and take note – especially when it's a game that has also been produced in conjunction with Nintendo (yes, let it be known that we still really like Star Fox Zero).

The hype for Astral Chain – which is directed by Takahisa Taura (previously lead game designer on Nier: Automata) with supervision from industry legend Hideki Kamiya – has slowly been building since the game's initial reveal in February this year, which, lest we forget, is a staggeringly short period in terms of AAA development. Since then, we've had a couple of chances to go hands-on to get a feel for this dimensional-shifting third-person action title, and now the final code is in our hands we're pleased to report that it absolutely delivers on every count.

Set in a future where volatile interdimensional gates have brought the human race to its knees, mankind exists in a sheltered floating city called The Ark. Here, the populace is protected by a specialist police force known as Neuron – special officers who are tooled up to deal with Chimera, otherworldly beasts which cross over into our dimension from the astral plane with the objective of infecting humans with 'redshift corruption' before pulling them into their hostile, chaotic realm. While the stakes are high, humanity isn't totally defenceless in this battle, and Neuron officers are equipped with Legion helpers – best described as Chimera that have been domesticated and are under your control.

These monsters – which come covered in cool, police-style armour – are connected to your character by a chain (hence the game's title). This connection is what lends Astral Chain so much of its unique gameplay mechanics. Tapping the ZL trigger will call your currently-selected Legion into being, and holding it down will allow you to control it using the right analogue stick. This behaviour has applications both in and out of combat; you use your Legion to hover up 'redshift' particles when you're exploring locations, but you can also use it to wrap the chain around enemies, temporarily tethering them to the spot so you can rain down multiple attacks.

In fact, the chain is perhaps one of the most useful and multi-faceted items in any action game of this ilk. Certain enemy attacks, for example, are telegraphed by a red beam, which shows precisely where that particular foe's lunging attack will go. If you're quick enough, you can pull the chain across this beam, catching the enemy when it eventually makes its move and throwing it backwards, giving you the chance to wade in with a combo while it lies stunned. You can use the chain (in conjunction with your Legion, of course) to leap around tight corners or cross gaps you'd normally be unable to negotiate.

Astral Chain's controls are so complex it sometimes feels like the game could come with a Haynes-style operations manual. Every single button on the Switch is used in the game, and recalling what does what during the heat of battle can, at least initially, be quite daunting – especially when you consider that Legion aside, your character has their own set of melee and ranged attack options (as well as a handy dodge which slows down time, Bayonetta-style, when triggered at the right moment) which can be combined with the blows of your beast ally to form deliciously balletic offensive moves. In battle, a tap of the ZL trigger will hurl your Legion in the direction of the nearest enemy, and it will begin attacking automatically.

You can, if you so wish, head in another direction and attack a second enemy, but it pays to stick together as you can sync your attacks (denoted by a blue flash) for massive damage. A perfectly synced attack will trigger all kinds of chain-related acrobatics, and it's possible to perform these stunts after a perfect dodge roll (executed by pressing the B button). Heck, you can even combine the chain's uses; remember how we said it can be used to leap around obstacles and gaps? Well, you can wrap it around multiple enemies instead and leap from foe to foe, administrating a devastating blow with each twist and turn.

The Chimera you're fighting against add wrinkles to the gameplay thanks to the fact that some of them require special tactics to defeat. Some enemies are impervious to your attacks until you defeat secondary enemies which cover their allies with protective shields. Sometimes, the pesky support Chimera is floating above your head, while at other times it's concealed in the ground, and you'll need to use your dog-like Beast Legion to dig them up before finishing them off. Boss fights do an excellent job of mixing up play tactics, forcing you to toggle between Legion skills and your own ranged and melee weapons to emerge victoriously.

Tapping the '+' button brings up the IRIS, another key component of Astral Chain's gameplay. This allows you to scan the environment for clues, Metroid Prime-style, and – when you're at a loose end – can prove to be incredibly useful, as it pinpoints key NPCs and objectives. Like your Legion, its usefulness isn't simply limited to one portion of the game; toggle it on during combat and you can gain information about enemies, such as their remaining health.

With this being a PlatinumGames title, there are of course layers stacked upon other layers when it comes to the complexity of the combat engine. You can use your Legion to propel your character skywards so you take out aerial enemies in tandem, and when a foe is almost out of energy, a quick stab of the A button finishes them off, with your Legion ripping out their heart in very much the same way that Raiden pulls off body parts as part of Metal Gear Rising's 'Zandatsu' feature. Doing this not only replenishes your health gauge but also gains you a healthy dose of 'Gene Code' points, which are dished out following combat and are used to unlock new abilities and buffs in each Legion's skill tree. Skills can be mapped to the X and Y buttons, and these vary depending on your current Legion; a personal favourite of ours is the ability to automatically bind a group of enemies in one go, which comes in handy when you're in danger of being mobbed.

Focusing solely on combat for a moment, it's clear that the engine PlatinumGames has built here offers a lot of scope for player skill. As you might expect, your performance is ranked depending on how well you did in each encounter, so if you feel the need to strive for perfection then Astral Chain gives you room – and incentive – to do so. By the same token, the game isn't so brutal that novices will be humbled within seconds of reaching their first boss. You can just about muddle through, and a generous selection of assist options – listed under the 'Unchained' options menu – allows you to automate certain moves so you don't have to worry about finessing your button presses. Much like Nintendo's 'Super Guide' system, this is clearly in place so those players who are totally new to this kind of experience can still make their way through the narrative without becoming hopelessly stuck, and because it's totally optional, veterans don't have to feel like it's cheapening the challenge.

You unlock various Legions as the story progresses, starting with the Sword Legion. Each one has its own unique ability which is vital when it comes to getting past some of the light puzzle challenges present in the game. For example, the Sword Legion can slash through laser barriers and even shatter unseen connections in the real world, while the Arrow Legion's long-range attack is required to hit switches. The aforementioned Beast Legion is perhaps the most unique, as you're able to ride on its back to dash past fast-moving environmental hazards, it can dig for bonus items and – perhaps most amusingly of all – you can give it a scent and it will track down missing objects or individuals.

To categorise Astral Chain as a pure action game would be unfair. For large chunks of the game, you'll be getting your hands dirty with detective work, and while it follows a very linear, level-by-level structure, there are ample opportunities to wander off the beaten track and earn some additional credit by fulfilling entirely optional side-missions. As you wander around each self-contained location there are a seemingly endless number of odd-jobs you can indulge in. You may spot individuals enveloped in redshift who can be 'cured' by your Sword Legion. Elsewhere, picking up discarded drink cans earns you a cash bonus when you deposit them in a bin – cash that can be spent on curative items and buffs at the many vending machines dotted around the city. Clearing up redshift corruption earns you a bonus that adds to your police rank, and if you're willing to explore you'll find hidden crates all over the game which contain useful items, ranging from healing kits to materials you can use to open up each branch of your Legion's skill tree.

During police investigations, you'll need to compile evidence and piece together a series of events in the correct order before the story can progress. It's nowhere near as in-depth or involving as something like Phoenix Wright, but it's a nice change of pace from the action scenes and is structured in a way where it really does feel like you're picking needles out of haystacks and solving a troubling case – even if the route to the answer is relatively straightforward.

Sleuthing isn't the only way that PlatinumGames has broken up the structure of Astral Chain. There are other diversions present, including a retro-style mini-game that sees you handing out balloons as the Neuron mascot, Lappy, and a puzzle section which tasks you with clearing away abandoned cars from a top-down perspective. These are optional missions that you can ignore if you simply want to experience the narrative, but they add some variety nonetheless. Somewhat less welcome is a stealth section which sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the intense, chain-swinging action – but, in typical PlatinumGames style, you can actually forgo sneaking around entirely and simply go in all guns blazing, if you so wish.

Astral Chain certainly gives you a lot of gameplay systems and mechanics to deal with, but the story is structured in such a way that you're never overwhelmed with too much information at once. Whenever a new Legion is introduced, the next level usually has a puzzle element which not only calls upon that Legion's unique ability, but also schools you on how to use it effectively in future encounters.

Special mention must also go to the incredible world-building that PlatinumGames has pulled off here. Not only is the core premise of Astral Chain – a police force tasked not just with stopping criminals, but dealing with beings from another plane of existence – incredibly cool, but the plot takes several neat twists and turns along the way. The whole package is helped immeasurably by some of the best visuals we've yet witnessed on Switch; the character design – supplied by famed manga artist Masakazu Katsura – is excellent throughout, while the Legion and Chimera are equally well-realised. The Ark is also something of a star, and there are several areas which branch out in multiple directions, giving you the impression of being inside a living, breathing cityscape.

While the game doesn't hit 60fps levels of smoothness, performance in both handheld and docked modes is solid and reliable, which goes a long way to ensuring that combat is intuitive and seamless. There are some moments when slowdown does occur – usually when playing in handheld mode – but it's never enough to dull the intensity of the experience. While Astral Chain predictably looks somewhat 'last-gen' when compared to the best the PS4 and Xbox One can offer, it nevertheless sets a new high watermark for Switch, which – lest we forget – is powered by the same kind of tech you'd find in a smartphone or tablet from a few years ago. Oh, and Satoshi Igarashi's soundtrack is equally striking, mixing an epic orchestral sound with more contemporary wailing guitars and laid-back dance music. It's not quite as bold and in-your-face as his work on Bayonetta 2, but it's a perfect fit for this type of game.

Given that Astral Chain has a linear narrative, you might assume that longevity is an issue, but like PlatinumGames' previous hits, there's actually a lot to do once the credits have rolled. Your first playthrough is going to take well over 20 hours, if not significantly more, depending on how many of the multitude of optional side-quests you wish to tackle. However, it's almost inevitable that on that initial run-through, you will miss things. Therefore, a second, third or even fourth attempt will give you a more complete picture of the game – and if you truly wish to master the mechanics of the combat so you can get the best ratings after each encounter, then you could potentially be playing this for weeks, if not months. Add in a very welcome co-op mode – where one player controls the main character while the other is in charge of the Legion – and it soon becomes clear that there's more to Astral Chain than you might expect.

Conclusion

With its amazing visuals, fantastic presentation, varied gameplay and deep, rewarding combat, Astral Chain could well be PlatinumGames' most accomplished game yet. It mixes detective work with exhilarating battle sequences that are inventive, challenging and – perhaps most importantly – breathtakingly cool. The complexity of the game's myriad systems may prove intimidating for some players, but the inclusion of a co-op play and the ability to automate many of the mechanics via the 'Unchained' mode means that even complete newcomers can still enjoy the ride. Astral Chain isn't just one of the Switch's stand-out hits – it's one of 2019's best video games.

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Damien has over a decade of professional writing experience under his belt, as well as a repulsively hairy belly. Rumours that he turned down a role in The Hobbit to work on Nintendo Life are, to the best of our knowledge, completely and utterly unfounded.

My biggest concern is how blurry is this in handheld mode? Lately it feels like every big game is...I'm not a big graphics snob, but I feel burned on some of the big AAA titles ( Xenoblade, FE:3H and dragon quest ) because of how blurry they can get on my almost $500cad game console

@antdickens Is it so hard to understand that I think the reviewer is coloring the review to be a little too positive? As in, I think he's lying a bit to push the latest Nintendo game, hence why I chose to phrase it that I don't believe the review. Sorry, but that was a weak attempt at deconstructing my opinion. I also ended my original post stating that if many people ended up enjoying the game, that it would give the review more weight, but as it stands right now it feels too good to be true. Is that better?

I love how people will come in here to throw shade at a review when (a) all reviews are absolutely subjective and opinion and (b) said commentor hasn't played the game himself. The shade would hold a lot more weight once the game is out and experienced, but critiquing and questioning a reviewer's motives based on "what I've seen" (and not what I've actually played) is pretty laughable.

"Platinum games' past few entries have left me feeling burnt" basically exposes his own bias that he is accusing the reviewer of having.

Anyways this seems to be reviewing very well across the board. From what I've seen it's definitely not a game for me but happy the Switch keeps getting hit after hit. Hope lots of people enjoy it and it becomes a franchise!

@Mr_Muscle it is hard to understand that yes. Someone posting such a comment only 5 minutes after the 2,500-word review went live, I'm not sure I believe someone read the entire review, digested it then wrote and posted a well-considered comment all within 5 minutes.

Platinum is my favorite developer outside of Nintendo and Capcom. They truly have some very unique experiences and some of the most over the top action I've seen in games. I don't think you should get this game, it sounds like you made up your mind already.

@Chunkboi79 Right! They definitely are not my cup of tea. When I played the Transformers game, I loved the action sequences, but the in-between stuff was just not for me, as it ruined the great pacing of the fights. I felt the same from Bayonetta. As I stated in my OP, I'm willing to be proven wrong. Not sure why everyone is getting butthurt about my opinion against the hype train. For example, I love Dark Souls, but I know that game isn't for everyone. I recently watched a great video of a guy deconstructing the game because he didn't like it and didn't understand the hype. I learned a lot from his dissenting opinion, and it was a cool video. In the end, I still love Dark Souls but I don't defend it so vehemently when someone dislikes it. I really hope you enjoy Astral Chain when you get your hands on it! Thank you, and have a great day.

@Mr_Muscle Its not that you are going against the hype train, its that you are questioning a reviewer's motives without having played the game yourself personally that is being frowned upon. Its perfectly okay to not be on a hype train. It'd be just like if you were a professional plumber and some customer came behind you and questioned and judged everything you did without having any of the hands-on experience to back it up - you'd probably be a little offended, too.

@Mr_Muscle can you describe "ho hum?" what types of games that you like are not "ho hum?" Bayonetta and its sequel are widely revered as action classics. You have the right to your opinions, but I think you need to provide more context if you want to come here and make bold claims. If not well oh well have fun playing whatever it is that you play!

@gamer95 it's a fairly solid 30 fps if I recall. When you compare this to the latest games running on PS4 Pro then it does feel "last gen" but that's down to the difference between Switch and PS4 Pro. If you're happy with other games on Switch then it shouldn't put you off.

@joezilla83 A game that's not ho-hum to me would be anything from the Souls series, anything from classic legacy systems such as Mega Man X or Final Fantasy 3, things like Symphony of the Night or Castlevania Chronicles. Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Hopefully I'll be proven wrong about Astral Chain. As it stands I'm afraid that the hype is giving it more credit than it deserves. With games like this, I always wait for the hype to die down and see where it lies after that and form my own opinions from watching gameplay footage.

@Mr_Muscle it's a big deal that you're questioning the integrity of the author of the review (and therefore this website) with absolutely no basis. Simply saying "I'm happy to be proven wrong" doesn't defend those accusations.

As much as it looks brilliant, I just couldn’t hype myself up for a game possibly better than Nier:Automata. I don’t think anything could beat that game for me, personally. Then again, I’d love to be proven wrong.

@antdickens I have years of basis to not fully trust in journalistic integrity in video games. There are great reviewers, and there are reviewers that tread upon that integrity by pushing a game a little too hard. Nintendo Life is a public website, with a public comments section. Why should it be above being questioned? Most of the time, I love the reviews from NL, but this one feels a little too pushy to me. I think you have just decided that you do not like me, based on what I wrote initially and my opinion of Astral Chain, in general. I respect your opinions and this website, but if something seems off I'm allowed to at least say something, especially in the civil manner I'm presenting.

@Damo Sorry to have offended you with my opinions of your writing. I'm willing to back down, if proven wrong. I even said so in my OP, that if enough people put their weight down on the game that I would retract my opinion and get on board with things. As it currently stands, I'm not sure I trust what the media outlets are saying. I recognize that that's on me. It's strictly personal, and in the end it's only affecting whether or not I choose to buy the game.

@Mr_Muscle any long term reader of NL knows they can question us, what we do and how we do it. All we ask is that it's presented constructively and with merit. You haven't done this and therefore getting called out on it. Your distrust of other websites is not something we can control. I suggest you be more selective and respective of authors going forward, unless you have a specific issue.

@flapjack-ashleyWhen a large number of reviews are PR exercises and not an actually a true representation of the person’s opinions on the game. . . it’s a fair call and understandable to be cynical.

I’m not saying this review is anything like that but it is something to consider. How much of a review is opinion and how much is PR?

This review is pretty good. Sure there is PR there but there is also a lot of decent fact about the game too. One of the better reviews out there.Personally I filter out the PR in reviews and focus in on the opinion and fact in the reviews.

The game here looks to be very good but also very niche. Not a game everyone will like. But those who do will like it a lot.

Just remember you can dislike a good game but that doesn’t change the fact it’s a good game. Differing tastes in games and all that jazz.

A 9? It can't be.. It doesn't feature FAST FORWARD. It's a must for a game like to go fast through levels but you can't... it should've been an other 5 because ot that.. cough cough Grandia score 5 cough cough

@Tandy255 Thank you. I think it's because I was too pointed at the author of the article. In the future, I plan on curbing what I say as to not offend, but I do agree that sometimes it feels like the reviews at NL are all 7-8 and up, so it does make me wonder, as a reader sometimes.

@flapjack-ashley Thank you for sharing the other review scores. That's what is so disconcerting to me; the fact that I can't seem to find a dissenting opinion about the game. I'm open to the possibility that the game is just that good, and if that's true I'll have to try it. But, even games like Ocarina of Time, which scored a perfect 10 at Gamespot years ago, were criticized by at least a couple other websites during it's original release for it's few shortcomings.

Platinumgames games have a high skill ceiling. If a game feels too easy/ playing itself, there exist much higher difficulties to try out. They aren't for everyone, but definitely my cup of tea. Cannot wait till Friday.

Couldn’t wait for this game since the first trailer was shown, beyond excited. Only thing I find disappointing is the projected hours of play this game is, seems fairly short but if it’s an amazing playthrough(from the videos and this review it seems to be something special) I wouldn’t mind how short it is as long as it has replay value. Scrambling to finish my first path of fire emblem before this comes out without rushing it, so many games out and more to come 😓

@Pandaman Not necessarily looking for a negative review, but I'm always skeptical when reviewers only say good things about the games they review. I already apologized to the reviewer, and dozens of people are jumping down my throat already about it, but I understand why you would defend a member of your staff. That at least, makes sense. Please have a wonderful rest of your day, and sorry again for the dissenting opinion.

@Zoda_Fett Think that is their style. It may not be extremely long, but playing through to get those S ranks on the highest difficulty will be very rewarding. That being said, I am not reading up on or diving into reviews as I want to experience it all hands on.

Wasn't attracted to this game, but while I still won't buy it day one, if a price drop happens I might get it at some point. I have Bayonetta and I gotta say it's a difficult game to play (for me), too deep mechanics frustrate me. So I haven't even finished that one.

@Mr_Muscle You watched through internet and the reviewers played the game. Who am I going to believe? You, that saw random screens on internet and have an opinion? Or the ones that actually played the game and have the Metascore reaching almost 90 out of 100? I am sure you know the answer.

@Trajan but see the reality of it is, it really is a $500 console. As a father of 2, and having some pretty heavy disabilities, I had to work my ass off, just to be able to afford the switch. Now, I came from the new 3ds xl and vita, which were both $200 of which I owned nearly all first and third party titles for. Almost every game released that I bought, ran EXACTLY as advertised and expected. The $40-60 price ranges for the games seemed very easy to digest as I got countless hours of enjoyment out of them. The switch is getting TONS of $90 games, which are more often than not, running like 2 week old dog ass, when running handheld. The switch is staggeringly more powerful than a 3ds or vita, and I feel we are being misled, especially by the eShop. Devs and publishers almost never post screenshots of handheld footage, just docked, touched up or from other platforms. I can give several examples of this horrid practice. I use my switch handheld 100% of the time, and just feel there needs to be higher expectations of $90 first and third party game performance in BOTH playstyles. If it can't run as well portable as docked, then devs need to step up their game, no pun intended. Sorry for the long winded rant, I'm sleep deprived and not feeling the best lol

@SterlingEyes that's interesting! I played a demo of Bayonetta (2 maybe?) And remember thinking "this is certainly awesome, but it feels like I am playing a long cutscene." I didn't know if the full games would continue to feel that way so I never bought them.

@Mr_Muscle hence my irritation with the performance of WAY too many switch games lately. It's like handheld is an afterthought of many devs these days. You know the system you are developing for, so why not develope accordingly. Both playstyles SHOULD have identical performance.

@Mr_Muscle So basically, you are going full Gamer Gate because you have a hard time believing that people could enjoy a Platinum game? How can one be "dishonest" if they are simply writing an opinion piece such as a review? It's not necessarily based on facts due to its very mature. I can understand not agreeing with a review, but you make it sound as if the site was paid for a good score which for all their faults, I doubt Nintendo Life would seriously do something like that.

@Trajan ok, so by that logic its marked up to a sale price $300 more. The PS4 costs $380-something to manufacture and sells for $399. And it runs stuff quite well for the most part. I think Nintendo is slipping a bit with the switch. I mean I freaking love my switch. Favourite console of all time, so far. Tons of great games. Tons of crap games too ( we shall not speak of a certain child who's best friend is a Rastafarian troll lol ) but people need to let Nintendo know we need that old Ninty style of Quality control we haven't seen since the 3ds backwards. The Wii u was a huge failure and a prime example of false advertising as far as functionality and marketing. The few AAA titles I bought were worth it and ran great. Now heres the more powerful switch, and it can barely handle the majority of 3rd party titles. I'm worried it's just going to become a quick and extra source of income for devs, who just don't want to put in the extra effort to have there games run well, as Platinum games evidentially have.

@Palico_extremeru I have no idea what a PS4 costs to make. I do know that Sony will sell consoles under cost.

But the 3ds doesnt have games like Switch. Yes a lot of them could be on 3ds, but they all look better with a bump in resolution. Unreal 4 runs pretty badly on Switch. It would be impossible to run this on a 3ds. Xenoblade 1 is probably the closest thing to a "big" game on 3ds. It runs alright but the resolution is PS1 bad.

So you have 2 issues: people being lazy (Pokemon, Fire Emblem), or companies (and people demanding ports) putting games on the Switch it was never designed for, or very poorly done. Witcher 3 has GameCube level textures and runs sub-30, but if that's what people want...

@Palico_extremeru You are definitely right. The Switch library is insane, but the hardware seemed a little rushed to market with some of the issues people have had. I hope it's successor keeps the concept though and cleans up some of the issues with things like drifting and heating issues.

@Trajan Exactly! If you want the Witcher, play it as it's meant to be played. The collosal downgrade, in my opinion, takes the intended feel away from the game. Don't get me wrong I LOVED the f&$# out of the Witcher 3 on PS4 ( over 120 hrs ) but I don't want it on switch. Nintendo has always had a different feel for me, I have been using Nintendo consoles for over 30 years, because you always new what to expect. But now, people are trying too hard to squeeze their games onto the switch, because it's the new hotness. Instead, it's making the eShop a hot mess of crap ports. Why aren't the good last gen Nintendo games being ported, smt4 and apocalypse, Tokyo mirage, Xenoblade X and the first game, the wonderful 101, monster Hunter stories, ever Oasis, etrian odyssey, these would run flawlessly on switch, and they would still be relevant. Instead we get fuzzed out ports of AAA that run no where near what they were intended to. It takes the soul out of a game. I loved the fire emblem games dearly on 3ds. They ran perfect. Three houses, ( bought yesterday at $84 after gold coins ) honestly looks and runs bad portably. I almost regret buying it, because it feels rushed. Even though it's freaking Fire Emblem. But it's charming as hell and might get improved over time. I'm still sitting on dozens of "good game" ports that were released in unacceptable forms and the devs have publically stated they have no intention of fixing. ( Ark and mutant year zero ). Plus Nintendo having the worst refund policy ever. Goes back to my comment about misleading eShop screenshots. Not everyone is able to watch HD gameplay vids that display a perfect 720-1080p image.

To each their own I suppose. I never feel that way with any of platinum games. As they're one of the few devs these days that I know that I can count on to give me an actual game instead of something that's always trying to be more of a cinematic experience that's trying to take us on some emotional journey with a B Movie plot and dialogue to match. Taking itself wayyyy too seriously as we stroll through yet another set of forests or cliche'd post-apocalyptic worlds with a gruff angsty anti-hero. With actual lengthy and overly dramatic cutscenes to boot.

I have bayonetta 1/2 but haven't finished 1 yet. I like it but it's not the greatest or anything. Haven't played Nier at all.

I'd say these are like God of War. Same stuff over and over (i gave up on God of War trying to play 3 which is the same damn game over and over).

This one looks interesting but I wouldn't pay full price. That and I'm still holding out hope for a switch 2 with more power. The switch is woeful at this stage and N needs to update it at a faster cadence.

I did not enjoy Bayonetta on the Switch. It's just not my kind of game I suppose. I just didn't like the setting, it's overwhelming and I never really knew what I was doing. I'm not sure if Astral Chain is something I would dig, but somehow the setting of it is more appealing to me.

I do believe that the game is an asset to the Switch library. Most of the reviews claim that the fightsystem is easier than the one in Bayonetta, so that could be a reason for me to buy Astral despite the fact that I did not like Bayonetta. But I will wait for the reviews from the gamers.

Gosh darn it I can’t afford it and don’t have the time to play it but I really want this game.

Also, I have no problem with people playing a game and putting a constructive criticism of a review as a comment. Always good to get other opinions. To accuse a reliable site of a biased review with zero evidence is just the height of rude.

I’m going to pass on this. I can’t say I enjoyed other games from PlatinumGames I’ve tried. This looks complicated and I can’t see anything that would be redeeming in my eyes. The great thing about the Switch right now is that we’re getting such a good variety in game releases that I don’t feel compelled to get games that I have little interest in just because there’s not much else (*cough Wii U).

@Cyrax77 It might be worth it to try out Bayonetta 2 before playing through the first one. The game is a little more welcoming to newcomers so you can find your footing more easily. The time travel shenanigans also mean you aren't hurt by missing the story from the first game.

To be fair, if you wait for solid 60 frames & digital foundry's analysis on everything, you wouldn't & won't be playing many games at all; past present or future. Whether AAA games coming from prominent studios or simply the latest indie, a good chunk of this generations biggest & most hyped (and overhyped) games aren't even close to 60 frames & have had performance imperfections. Games like god of war, Fortnite, spiderman, star wars battlefront 2 & even the latest street fighter & more have all had issues witg fps, being only 30 frames or both. Hell, some of them couldn't even maintain a consistent thirty for real.

Don't take this personally btw, but man I can't wait until we get back to the days of just being gamers, in this thing for the love of it & not being so nit-picky & whining about not getting perfection constantly! Ihonestly think this hobby becoming mainstream, while good for it as far as expanding it, has also been one of the worst things ever. As it just seems that the childlike enjoyment of it is gone & folks enjoy nitpicking & whining about the hobby more than they actually do playing the games.

Jesus Christ dude, stay out of my head please! As you can see, I was literally just laminating the times of when game is actually used to love gaming more than bi'**ing about it . And sure enough I hit send & I see this comment from you. So glad that I'm not the only one noticing this seemingly (& sadly) ever present trend & feeling that way.

Well if that's the case, should we be buying a good chunk of ANY of the game's suggested to us these days? What you're saying could be applied to pretty much any game even remotely getting attention these days. Just look at days gone as a recent example and some of the VERY positive reviews that crap fest was getting from some outlets.

Got my preorder down, the positive reviews are encouraging, but I just won’t know if i’ll enjoy it until it’s in my Switch. How Bayonetta scores so well is beyond me, those games are absolute tosh in my opinion. Staying away from most reviews etc due to spoilers so it’s a bit of a punt, but sometimes that’s the way she goes!!

@gamer95 It's confirmed as 30 FPS. NL saying "While the game doesn't hit 60fps levels of smoothness" is their slimey way of saying it is not 60fps while kind of still implying it isn't JUST a 30fps game, cuz NL knows that'd bother some people and they NEED you to link on that affiliate link and purchase the game.

@BlackenedHalo Mario Odyssesy had nice graphics at 60fps. So does......Splatoon2! And that's about it as far as non-fight games fo. Fighting games like Smash (which I personally think looks a bit drab at times) and DragonBall FighterZ don't count because higher rez can more easily run at a higher frame rate when it's not constantly loading in new graphics. I hope they realize a model that can hit 1080 at 60fps docked for most games and 720 at 60 to 30 in handheld. I disagree with you because of 2 games lol.

Yes yes yes and YES! I was intrigued ever since its February reveal and have been pleased by what I've seen time and time again. It's nice to see in the reviews (so far) that this game is meeting and exceeding my expectations. I'll definitely grab this when the time is right.

I was hooked at first sight, preordered, and looking forward to trying it this weekend!Love that Sentai Space Sheriff vibe.I only hope you can wear the Lappy dog costume or something equally bizarre during combat with the super serious bad guys though. 😄

@Mr_Muscle On 23rd July I predicted this site would award the game a 9 or 10. It seemed pretty clear, based on my previous experience on this site, that when it gives a game plenty of positive preview attention, a big score is coming.

I'm not saying this game doesn't deserve a 9.

I'm not saying the site has been an active partner in any overly-positive promotion of this game.

@LUIGITORNADO It’s an subjective opinion. Also, those two things you mentioned isn’t the only aspects going into the reviewer’s opinion about the game being the best Platinum game to date. There’s more to it than that, and if those two things are the only things you’re going to focus on then I suppose it won’t meet your standard. That said, it might meet the standards of others. You’re entitled to your opinion, and so are others. You should at least wait until you play/beat it before making a final judgment, like the reviewer did.

When Platinum Games has time to craft something, they usually deliver. Very happy to see this seems to deserve to be in the same category as classics like Bayonetta 1 & 2 and NieR: Automata. Can't wait for Friday, this is for sure a day one.

@JaxonHThe fact it's even getting mentioned with the Bayonetta games has me hyped. If it's as good as those it quickly slots into the discussion for my favorite game of the year along with Resident Evil 2 remake and Judgment.

@Nerdfather1 I know that opinions are subjective. When the reviewer made the claim that this is Platinums' best game, they welcomed said opinion to be challenged.

Inferring that I need to respect someone's opinion because they are "entitled to it" when they are outright welcoming challenge isn't a rule here in the real world, and I'm sure it's a make believe rule everyone--including you--has broken more than once when pressed enough.

You know what's funny about hall-monitor posts reminding everyone to respect eachothers' opinions like the internet is class room? I'm confident that individuals only flag wave it when they disagree with an opinion.

Basically I'm going to be a butthole, and you can't good-shame me into passing out juice and cookies during book sharing time.

@LUIGITORNADO Mainly the draw initially was that people keep saying that Astral Chain is more “methodical,” in its combat. When I first read a review of Dark Souls, years ago, a reviewer at Gamespot used the same word to describe its combat. Seeing as I love Dark Souls, I was thinking that astral chain would be similar in function. Bayonetta was so fast I couldn’t see what was going on when I played in handheld mode on Switch. I like slower games, and people are claiming Astral Chain is slower.

I watched a great video from GameXplain that felt way more balanced in its review process. The reviewer mentioned that Astral Chain, while fun, is inconsistent. Like, it had a 30 minute section with no combat. For me, inconsistent pacing is enough for me to skip it. I don’t need flashy combat to stay interested, but if a game is going to rely on silly fetch quests to fill in the good stuff I am happy finding other things to play!

One thing is to think "the game could be bad, I'll wait for getting it myself even when several reviews say it's great" than say "I don't believe this review, and the reviewer is saying nothing but lies because this is a Nintendo fanpage and this is the next big Nintendo published game, I hope to be proven false though".

I know you already talked the admins, whatever. It's not nice to say the things you said. And that last bit doesn't validate your way of writing your opinion. Have a nice day. Please DON'T answer this.

@gameboy1975 I agree with you about those empty cinematic experiences! I dont like those either.

About PlatGames I never saw the appeal in getting S in every level ( I just played Bayo and Mad World, by the way) and always feel that they rely too much in excessive violence and sexualization... Not my cup of tea.

@Mr_Muscle It is more like this style of game is simply not your "cup of tea" Bayonetta and Neir Automata are both widely praised and the transformers game also received some good reviews. I love Bayonetta and Neir Automatta and am very excited for Astral Chain. This genre is obviously not your bag in which case I doubt this game will convert you.

@gameboy1975 Your comment is interesting to me partly because I've found that having a locked 60fps is part of what creates that childlike enjoyment in games. Breath of the wild has recreated that kind of joy more than any other game for me in the past few years, and I only play it docked because my TV has a dejudder function that makes it look like 60fps almost all the time. It looks incredible and contributes to my immersion in the game. Music does it too. In Kingdom Two Crowns and Kingdom New Lands I also feel that joy of discovery or joy of sheer gameplay, and the music contributes a lot to that. It also gets so choppy that I sometimes look away from the TV or only watch where I am by peripheral vision. It's horrible. It would be magical if the game ran locked at 60fps, but I play it many, many hours even with it's really horrible frame pacing and performance in general. Anyways, just wanted to say I love the joy of just playing games, but also love Digital Foundry videos and learning about details of frame rate in games.

88% Metacritic as it stands... That will more than do for me. Looking forward to getting this Friday!! Great time to be a Switch owner with what's coming up between now and Christmas....
The Switch is firing on all cylinders

@LUIGITORNADO I like being able to see the game I’m playing. Why is that silly? I very rarely hook up my Switch to a TV, so the game should play well on either mode. Sadly, I found it a garbled mess in handheld mode, so it was an easy return.

Okay, does anyone actually believe that because opinions are subjective, there is no point in discussing them? I'm starting to see so many people respond to any discussion of literature or narrative on the internet with "that's just subjective!" and nothing else and I brushed it off, but I'm seeing it a lot in general and on this comment section and I don't think it's a helpful idea.

You can have worthwhile discussions that look like "I think Shrek is a good movie." "Why?" "Because I think its irreverent take on fairy tales is a striking commentary on how western society distances itself from anything beautiful through relentless irony, and I appreciate how Shrek and Fiona learn true self acceptance by not trying to be who society demands you to be." "Perhaps, but I didn't like Shrek because too much of its humor was lazy fart jokes which were written for focus group audiences. Donkey was so obnoxious of a character that he became unsympathetic. The art style never looked good and it hasn't aged well. And it could have found ways to point out irony in modern American society without being what it criticizes." Even if both of those opinions are subjective and even if neither persuades the other, a meaningful discussion about a work of fiction just happened. Compare that to what some internet folks seem to want: "I like Shrek." "That's a subjective opinion!"

1: Everyone knows that if you're talking about your thoughts about a fictional narrative that you're sharing subjective thoughts, what a subject thinks about an experience. You shouldn't have to say "but that's just my opinion" after every single sentence because it's assumed because of the topic matter because obviously saying "I like Shrek!" doesn't say anything about anyone else's experiences of Shrek, and 2: You can have meaningful discussions about shared experiences even if experience is subjective. Shutting down discussion of art because it's subjective discourages people from thinking or discussing art. And 3: there can be good and bad defenses of subjective opinions. And 4: Because there can be meaningful discussion about subjective opinions and because there can be good and bad defenses of subjective opinions, there can be discussion of video game reviews and whether the reasons that a reviewer provides for arguing that a game is or is not worth purchasing back up their conclusion or are persuasive. Which is exactly what seems to have happened here: someone questioned the reviewer's review and the reasons they provided for doing so weren't persuasive to other people and some of those people explained why they weren't persuaded. Communication happened about subjective experience.

If someone simply states that an opinion is subjective, they are simply stating the obvious, and if they're saying that to imply that because an opinion is subjective, it can't be talked about, then they're trying to kill the possibility of meaningful discussion by limiting it to objective and pointless statements like "Shrek is a movie about Shrek. He meets a donkey. There are jokes." The former doesn't mean anything and the latter is actually harmful.

Anyway, this game looks fun, but a lot is going to depend on the plot for me. NieR Automata had a pretty decent plot. I want to see a bit more for myself to see whether this one is good too or whether it's pretentious arthouse stuff. The combat system sounds pretty good and might make it worth it even if the plot is bad, and I'm surprised to hear 20 hours from an action game. I hope the side content isn't awful: I've played so many RPG games where the side content is tangential filler designed to pad 5-10 hours on with fetch quests instead of exploring themes or telling stories.

Glad you enjoyed Nier. I got turned off by the large, empty sections. I was hoping the game would play more like the intro level, but for the entire game. I was disappointed to learn it was open world, because the characters and setting are INTRIGUING AF.

@LUIGITORNADO After being stabbed in the same eye, twice and being blind in it for 5 years of my life, I've considered it. I do bump into things occasionally, so sometimes work can be difficult. That obviously has carry over when looking at fast moving things on a tiny screen. Maybe you should be a little more courteous when we are discussing games with people you know nothing about.

@Dodger I'm sorry sir, but you are far too rational for this comments section. Please see yourself out.

I kid, though. Glad to see someone thoughtful. I agree with what you said. I love discussions about all this nonsense we see in gaming, so it's always strange when you see the people that just brush things off like we shouldn't be talking about them.

A friend of mine used to say, simply, "If you enjoy the food you eat, talk to your friend about how it tastes, and you will enjoy it more."

@Damo@antdickens
The fact that both of you came wading out into the comments to argue with one of your own readers speaks volumes about your lack of professional integrity.

Someone said something you don’t like about one of your articles—which you get paid to write—and you spit your collective dummies about it? Aww, cry me a river.

Did you, as professional journalists, consider that that particular reader may have mental issues? May be depressed? Do you think it wise to attempt to publicly humiliate, alienate, or mock them? Are you really so petty and insecure?

If you post work and invite people to comment, you have to expect to hear things that you might not like.

@Mr_Muscle may be incorrect, but at least he conducted himself like an adult, unlike you two.

@MagnaRoader At this point I'm thinking of selling a kidney. Never said it had to be mine. Seriously so very much out and on the way my backlog is enough to fill the grand canyon at this point. However I do think I will get this ASAP as a change of pace between MUA3 and FE3H.

@Mr_Muscle Listen. You said the Bayonetta "burnt" you. It seems like you think game tricked you into something that it's not. Did you think Bayonetta was a slow game?

You sound like you make informed purchase decisions, so why would you buy a fast paced action game when you have a disability preventing you to play the game on a small screen? Is it easier to see on a T.V.?

@Xelha I dunno, there are things I greatly enjoyed about Nier Automata, like the Music, Art Direction, Atmosphere, variety of possible approaches to combat, unique approach to story telling and such. Compared to the original Nier, the combat was certainly a big step-up, as was the quest tracking, sure (though the lack of grimoire weiss or anything to replace him/it made the moment to moment gameplay somewhat less impactfull to be honest), but that aside, Automata's combat was the least satisfying out of any Platinum game yet.

It just felt floaty and all-in-all pointless, repeating the same enemies again and again ... enemies you might just as well have evaded ... and which on their own posed little to no actual threat ... just button-smashing your way through ---
I do actually wonder if this was by design, like underlining much of the nihilistic fighting-beyond-meaning-by-way-of-going-through-the-motion tone (to vastly oversimplify here), that is part of the game's story DNA and figured hugely in many of the philsophies that get alluded to or name-dropped over the course of the game.

I feel like more confined spaces for combat encounters, with limited healing, more aggressive enemies, with better telegraphed attacks that at the same are more punishing and more quickly delivered, paired with some consequences for failure and changed animation and hit-detection system to make individual attacks/hit more impactful ... all of that would have made for more enjoyable combat encounters. Honestly, I did not end up liking fighting in Nier AUtomata. I always thought the game was just about to "take off", so to speak, to move to a different level, leave the "tutorial" feeling behind, and get ... INTENSE for a lack of a better word. The combat not once had me on the edge of my seat, hell the arcade flying sections were the most engaging in many ways, and they were basically an afterthought, not to mention that the sidescrolling segments were actually worse than the 3D combat ...

Anyways, I can see how from the perspective of an action game, Nier Automata can definitely be bested. Like I said, the game was in almost all ways (Grimoire Weiss...) on par or superior to the really well-made original Nier, but as far as moment to moment gameplay goes, even just looking at this year, it could not remotely stand toe-to-toe to for instance Sekiro, which also featured splendid art direction for instance and which combat had me on it's toes almost all the times.

I think the most clear-cut case against Nier Automata in that comparison is the lack of progress. I got better in Sekiro, I had to, the game challenged me to improve, new tools or not, it demanded I mastered it fundamentals. Automata never did - it just didn't. Button Smashing carried me through all the play-throughs just fine. There was no finesse to it, no stakes, no mastery, at least not gameplay wise. The way the story was told, well, you certainly needed to take your time, pay attention and reflect on what you were being shown (or not shown for that matter). Sekiro was straight forward in that regard, much more straight forward than any other From Software game in that regard.

Long story short, I have not played Astral Chain, but I could see how as an overall experience it is better. Based on the reviews and videos I have seen so far, I am almost certain it'll be the more enjoyable action-title, certainly more intense than Automata, which ... had not intensity in that regard I always say, that if you turned off the music in Automata, the combat quickly felt like a boring slog ... the music was the most engaging aspect about it.

@HappyMaskedGuy I appreciate the sentiment, though I'm mentally sound (most of the time! LOL)

It definitely caught me off guard with the overwhelmingly negative response. Questioning integrity of any kind of news or journal entry has been around since before I was even born. It comes with the job, I suppose. Heck, I get questioned in my profession regularly, though I'm lucky enough that I can immediately prove that what I teach serves a specific function and actually works, which is harder to do on a website based around anonymity.

I actually welcome disagreement, as I would question myself if all I did was surround myself with people that nodded "yes" to everything I said.

@Mr_Muscle I won’t lie, I don’t agree with your initial comment—but I DO share your scepticism of a lot of games journalism.

But what really, really irks me is this pathetically childish behaviour, as demonstrated by the NLife staff here, of professional writers getting butthurt and defensive when one of their customers shares an opinion which they don’t like.

@gcunit Nintendo Switch exclusive gets positive press in previews on Nintendo site for looks at notes being universally regarded as good in previews from a studio with a great track record. BIAS?!1!1!111!

maybe because i usually only casually pay attention to this site beyond the forms so forgive me if I've missed something but other than saying "maybe everything we've seen and heard (and presumably played?) about this game is just a lie", what do you want? Arbitrary negativity for arbitrary balance?

The concept didnt really hook me, but platinum games look incredibly polished and im definitely considering getting this on sale. I have a voucher but think maybe this isnt a must buy right away for me, but it did look interesting so im so glad that it really is a great game, especially since its a nintendo exclusive. the switch could always use games like that. going to try to pick up nier automata first though

@Coach_A I really don't get what you are trying to accomplish by throwing around "objectivity" in a video game review. Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble but all reviews for all media are inherently subjective in nature and it is virtually impossible to review them objectively unless you are simply dissecting them for an academic journal. On a website like this, every review is simply just someone's opinion, that being whatever critic wrote the review. Everything you read is their subjective take on the material that is being reviewed. To imply anything otherwise is simply asinine.

@Ryu_Niiyama Sadly this seems to be the direction comments tend to go in when you have an avid fanbase surrounding a developer. Naturally due to the nature of media, not everyone is going to like or be interested in something just because some people happen to be huge fans of it. This shouldn't be a problem as it is just a fact of life, but issues arise from fans lashing out at people who criticize something they like or people being overly negative towards anyone who likes it. This isn't helped by the cliquey nature of video game fanbases who tend to jump on bandwagons, be it negative or positive. To be honest this is an element of the video game community that I always found off-putting, while some people seem to enjoy it, this all reflects poorly upon the community.

I’m with @Mr_Muscle on this one. Before reading the review I knew it’d get a 9 or 10 based on the pre-release coverage and hype.

And I’m disappointed in the NL staff replies to Mr Muscle’s comment - where’s the professionalism? He’s your customer, treat him like one. For me, a reply along the lines of ‘you should definitely try it, as it garnered praise from many reviewers, and we think it’s one of the finest Platinum games we’ve played’. Whereas your defensiveness comes across as petty.

But hey, just my opinion, and I’m a NL fan, but I thought it was worth pointing out. Irrespective, this ain’t my kind of game, but I hope y’all enjoy it.

Platinum Games are very hit or miss for me. I love Vanquish, MadWorld, and Rising, but I really can't stand Bayonetta. (That's way more hits than misses, now that I look at it). My point is people seem to be over the moon because this game is "like Bayonetta", which puts me very much under the moon, but there are also Rising mechanics in here too.

It's safer just to save my money for The Ninja Warriors coming in a week's time. I'm happy you guys are happy, but I'm afraid this isn't for me.

@Bondi_Surfer Yeah when I see a "critic" attacking anyone who isn't interested in something they reviewed positively, that isn't a good sign and it makes their writing seem kinda fanboyish which invalidates it as a result.

A professional writer should be able to distance themselves emotionally from the material they are reviewing, and if they feel a need to get highly defensive like that it shows me how they aren't being emotionally mature in their approach to it. At this point I feel like this review might as well have been written by the official PlatinumGames fan club.

Accusations of lying and accusations of dishonesty aimed at the reviewer, framerate complaints, resolution complaints, the game is ‘lame af’, the Switch is ‘woeful’, the review sounds like it was ‘written by the official PlatinumGames fan club’, that it was only given a 9 because the site has ‘been an active partner in any overly-positive promotion of this game’, someone who dislikes games so much they apparently have a 2-year Switch games drought (?!), etc

@nimnio That's the fault of text-only communication. No facial expressions, no body language. On top of that, written text gives the reader a chance to insert their feelings into what they are reading, which is not a good assumption to make. Many people understood that I'm sincere, and it's very hard to communicate that across a text. Whether or not you believe me doesn't matter to me. If you're irritated at dissenting opinions, that's on you. I'm not choosing that part of your destiny. Keep the words calm in your head, as that's how I am typing them. Sorry, but that's all I've got. If we were face to face it would be easier to communicate.

@Bondi_Surfer he is a reader and they're not Nintendo. It's not solely up to them to encourage or discouraged someone to buy something but rather for people to make the decision for themselves. While NL staff can react better, and maybe understand that he is reacting based on what everyone else besides Nintendo life is rating and reviewing the game. There is a thing to overhyping, also I think people might be a little worried since Polygon is among the ones that are giving this game a high score and a "positive" review. However, I think people are going to enjoy the game in general but that doesn't mean everyone's going to enjoy it so that's why you probably shouldn't take another's opinion seriously all time.

@Mr_Muscle "If you're irritated at dissenting opinions, that's on you." If your "dissenting opinion" were simply that you don't think the game is good, you wouldn't get getting any flak. No one is upset about your opinion on this game. They're upset that your called the reviewer a corporate shill.

"I think he's lying a bit to push the latest Nintendo game, hence why I chose to phrase it that I don't believe the review."

This isn't an opinion about the game. It's an accusation directed at the reviewer. So if you're apologizing for something, I'm just wondering what you're apologizing for... casually accusing someone of lying, or not liking the game?

@nimnio Who said I was worried that I'm getting flak? Earlier I posted to another user that I would question myself if I was surrounded by people only saying, "yes" to everything I said. It's good to share differing opinions. Keeps the mind challenged.

I was apologizing to the party in question. I don't have to answer that to you, as they seemed to have moved on since I apologized. Really it's their business. Thanks for commenting, either way.

I've tried to enjoy Platinum hack-and-slash games numerous times before on both the Switch and WiiU, but I think the genre just isn't for me. Incidentally I do find it mildly amusing that questioning the integrity of a publication which so regularly releases obvious click-bait is generating so much controversy. Lots of articles on this site present fast-food journalism, even though this particular review appears well-considered. People questioning the integrity of the publication is a predictable result of these standards.

@Mr_Muscle There are times when you just gotta own up what you said and call it quits. That time was hours ago. Yet, I still see you justifying constantly on what we already know you said and refuse to stop this pointless discussion. Agree or disagree, just stop; you are not making this easier for anyone, even for the ones who are defending you.

@Mr_Muscle I think that the problem with your comment was not that you aren’t hyped by or like the game, but that you called the reviewer a liar which was totally unnecessary and definitely not deserved.

We’re not talking here one good review against plenty of bad ones. This game is getting stellar reviews everywhere so, at the very least, that says something about its quality.

Stating your opinion and calling someone a liar are two very different things. Your comment wouldn’t have got any notice if you had left the accusations out of it.

Anyway, reviews are just opinions. I really hate Dark Souls but everyone else loves it so...I’m hyped by this game but I haven’t played it so I won’t know if the hype is deserved or not until I actually play it. Watching gameplay videos or reading reviews is not enough for me to form an educated opinion.

@the8thark Well I think it’s also been this way with reviews for movies and TV Shows as well. It’s hard to tell what is hype, and what is ligit greatness. In order for a game to be confirmed “classic” status as well, requires time to reflect on it. I can confirm that in my opinion the BOTW hype was worth it, even if reviewers ignored some of the game’s obvious flaws in early reviews. God of War was pretty good, but I felt the hype train was too big for that game and it didn’t deserve all the praise in the end. I liked it, but it wasn’t as genre defying as everyone was claiming in the press.

But I really enjoyed Sekiro and DMCV from this year. Get the feeling Astral Chain is my thing.

@maruse See, I would argue that it's really strange that the game is only getting positive reviews. It's like people aren't willing to speak up against Astral Chain, and if you watch gameplay footage it's clear that the game is not a stellar, perfect, 10/10 game by any stretch of the imagination. Solid? Sure, I'll take that. Something about it is fishy, across the board. Even GameXplain, when talking critically about the game, felt as if he was being extremely careful in how he stated his faults that he found in-game. It's very odd.

@Mr_Muscle If you've moved on, move on. Stop responding. Don't respond to this. Don't respond to anyone who @'s you from this article. You've done enough damage, you've cleaned up with the people whom you wronged, you can't do any more here.

@Mr_Muscle i get what you are saying. The unfortunate thing is, if you say anything that goes against the grain on this site, or what the majority think, your likely to get ganged up on and insulted quicker then you can look sideways.It's happened to me. It's really sad because it wasnt like it on this site a few short years ago.

@AnnoyingFrenzy I'm good, thanks. Nobody said you had to read or respond to what I am writing to other users on this website. Like I said earlier, I enjoy conversations. If you want to talk about something useful, feel free. If you want to just keep beating a dead horse, I guess you can also feel free.

@Nomad Hi Nomad, it's like that on Kotaku, as well. There's a vast majority, and anybody that speaks against it gets 30 people jumping down their throats for disagreeing.

The problem is that most users will read something that gives them some form of cognitive dissonance, and then make that user their enemy. It's a terrible approach. Not sure why everyone wants to make war against something different than their usual. It's not like I'm physically doing anything to prevent anyone from enjoying Astral Chain, if that's what they intend to do!

@AnnoyingFrenzy No. If someone replies to me, especially if they are saying something constructive, I will give them the common decency of a reply. Like I said, handle yourself, instead of trying to control others. Thank you.

@Mr_Muscle Not controlling you, advising you that you are part of the problem, as am I at this point. You haven't moved on from anything. I am not forcing you to reply to this comment or any comment. You choose the comments to reply to and you are choosing the ones that continue this needless escapade.

@Mr_Muscle I think that you are just trying to find a non-existent conspiracy on purpose. But well, you are totally free to do that if that gives you any kind of pleasure.I better get to work! Have a nice day! (and I'm nor being sarcastic with that: I wish you truly have a nice day)

@Palico_extremeru "Why aren't the good last gen Nintendo games being ported, smt4 and apocalypse, Tokyo mirage, Xenoblade X and the first game, the wonderful 101, monster Hunter stories, ever Oasis, etrian odyssey, these would run flawlessly on switch, and they would still be relevant."

I couldn't agree more with you. "Relevant" is an important word here. There's no use porting a good game shoddily and getting bashed while there are lots of great games that are relevant and could be nicely ported but are still left aside

Well if the game is as entertaining as this comment section, it should be very good indeed.

I probably won't play it though. I usually don't play Platinum's games, mostly because I have a long list of other games I want to spend time and money on and even though I am often interested in their games I just never get around to them.

I think we all need to learn not to expect Ps4/XBone grpahics from Switch games - the system is technically inferior to those consoles and it's a fact. I do not mind, however. Switch has so many gems right now (FE3H, BOTW, XC2 to name a few) and that proves that the graphics are not a barrier for a good game. Sure, Astral Chain does not look as good as, let's say, Horizon Zero Dawn, but it does look really good, and especially after Nier Automata, Platinum games have earned enough of my trust to want to try this.

@Quarth Pretty sure it was all the kids jumping down his throat one by one that kept the comment section going as long as it did.

@NotJustQuarth Mr Muscle was completely allowed to say what he said and the NL staff crying like that to him for his comment was pretty cringe and immature. He essentially said “I don’t believe this one review - I will wait for more before i’m convinced”......... Sounds pretty familiar to me.

Plus questioning the integrity of reviews (and articles with all those BUY THIS affiliate links) on this website is increasingly more appropriate. This isn’t the VC reviews/WiiWareWorld days.

@Mr_Muscle It Just sounds to me like you don't likr or enjoy Platinum games period. If Bayonetta doesn't impress you or give you any joy i see little reason in getting this game. Me on the other hand cannot wait. But i love everything they do.

@K1LLEGAL No need to respond to all of them right? It just adds more fuel to the fire. We know what the user thinks now, it's just repetition at this point. His first post in this thread is one of the earliest comments at #5, no wonder people still replies.

I think there are a lot of things to criticize about NL, especially the way they sometimes word their headlines (I have criticized them a lot for that), but to go after a reviewer and insinuating he isn't honest in his review is quite rude. Yeah, sure, you could say that one review doesn't mean much and in that sense imply you don't trust it, but this time it was worded more as a conspiracy theory, that this reviewer isn't honest with the review. In fact, the user said this in comment #21:
"Is it so hard to understand that I think the reviewer is coloring the review to be a little too positive? As in, I think he's lying a bit to push the latest Nintendo game, hence why I chose to phrase it that I don't believe the review."

I think no one is going after the user for its views on the game itself (or cares for that matter). It was more about the way the user implied that @Damo isn't to be trusted as a reviewer. I think Damo sometimes comes off as a bit too defensive in his replies to more general criticism, but in this case I think he's right to respond as it's not just criticism against NL, but an attack on him as a reviewer. You see the difference?

This is my last reply to this thread. Going back to Fire Emblem, gonna play as much as possible before getting Astral Chain (much thanks to the positive reviews here on NL and other places) on Friday.

Cheers!

Edit: Funny that the user I responded to returned to commenting after a four year abscence. LOL!

My god…. Someone loves all the attention he gets. He owns this thread and we all love it. At least someone is telling us the truth, because I just didn’t see I got pranked by that 88% at meta. They all lie and the truth is that all the reviewers hate the game. I would like to take a moment to thank the only one that dares to tell the truth. Thank you!!

Ontopic:

Watched some of the gameplay, and I might just pick it up. I did not like Bayonetta (1 & 2) because it was a bit overwhelming and chaotic. I didn’t dig the setting of those games either. Because of that I never really had Astral on my radar. I assumed it was going to be a chaotic and overwhelming game in a setting I would not like. But I do like the setting in Astral Chain and many reviews claim that the controls are better for newbies to the genre.

I’m going to hold on for a minute to see what you guys think about it after playing it before I’m going to buy it. But I’ve got high hopes that I’m going to like this game. Despite the conspiracy.

Well, this turned into a trainwreck, didn't it?I'm cautiously optimistic about this game; I've purposely avoided most previews/reviews so that I go in fresh. I'm certain that the baseline gameplay will be excellent from the tidbits I've read, I just hope there are enough ludicrous set pieces that elevate Platinum's best games above the rest (see the Bayonettas, Vanquish and W101).

@antdickens@damo I know the review touched a bit on this (explaining you can automate certain parts) but do you think someone that absolutely hated bayonetta because it found the gameplay extremely dull and boring could get a good experience out of this one? P.s: honestly not trying to troll or anything. Is just that I have been half hyped for this and half on the edge because I don't normally enjoy platinum gameplay

I wonder why they felt the need to say how much they love Star Fox Zero? Now I realize some people somehow did like that game but the general consensus is that it's trash. I have it and it's BAD! Starting the review by saying that makes it sound very biased, like it's a forgone conclusion that this game will get a high score simply because of who made it.

>dude leaves comment about an issue that isn't exactly uncommon in the gaming landscape>while quite clearly not the intent, one can infer that the comment is actually just a slight on the reviewer and by extension the company (even if people are quick to say "an individual reviewer's thoughts are not indicative of the company on the whole!!!" when addressing things like lists)>slander.exe>gets put on blast by users and staff alike>role of a reviewer goes from being able to convey one's thoughts on a game to being trustworthy>surprisedpikachu.png>target responds to comments quite amicably as far as internet discussion is concerned and gets hit with "victim card" or "attention seeker">people who've clearly observed the thread continue talking about him even after he's disappeared or after posting aforementioned "attention seeker" appraisals>needless snide potshots and grandstanding ad infinitum

@antdickens (first comment): That has to be the first time I've seen a native speaker argue the wrong semantics so spectacularly. Surely you know the difference between "believing something" and believing in something"?

"I believe you" = "I trust that what you are saying is true""I believe in you" = "I have faith in you" or "I am of the opinion that you exist"

@antdickens But then what was the point of the comment in the first place? If anything, the only person you were arguing with was yourself. Looks like I missed the latest copy of Rhetorical Strategies.

@Mr_Muscle Referencing your reply to Crypto--I hope you only say so. Though it may only discredit you further, I will still say I think your commitment to your opinion and your civility about it are commendable; for all the backlash you received, the attitude you responded with if but made my day a little bit better.

It's your business, obviously, but in your position I wouldn't dare to be so candid in the future--for my own sake. If you're not a victim as others have said you are, I'd say you're a masochist.

It may be a week late and unsolicited, but with the utmost sincerity, I do hope you have a nice day.

I just finished the game yesterday, it took me around 24hrs to finish the game (yes, I do a bit of side quest and play at PT standard mode), and the game is a masterpiece, the music, the design level, the action gameplay, the tense when you facing a bunch of enemies and tough boss, and come with a bunch of replay mission and post-game content. It is great, you must buy it.

Wow, just look at this amazing number of comments! I have just had a good try out of Astral Chain. Initially I was expecting a 10/10 score for Astral Chain, but I guess I set the bar too high this time. It is still a fantastic game everyone should play with a solid 9/10 score.

During my time playing I was only using the docked mode (on TV), so I think I might have missed the slowdown mentioned in the review here. But, I do have some things that might not have been reviewed here, the co-op mode. I love couch co-op games, so this one is not an exception. So here are some of my thoughts:1. You can't access the Legatus menu during co-op. Am I the only one experiencing this? So, it's quite a hassle to switch back and forth between single player and co-op.2. No pro controller support for co-op. So, we are stuck with small single joycons. Probably I will try to buy a single joycon grip and see whether this issue can be mitigated.

If this gets patched out, I wouldn't hesitate to give it a solid 10/10 score!!

Just finished my first playthrough and I'm positively surprised by the game.I have Bayonetta, and I enjoyed it but I got to say the story is confusing, and the fighting system while is "easy on the eyes" I confess that a lot of times I was just pressing random boutons on the controller not having a clue of the combos and things just "magically" happen and my Bayonetta keep on kicking ass... and it was fun as hell!In Astral Chain, the combat is almost "auto-pilot off", of course you can punch buttons, but the strategic elements invite you not to do that. Is a very simple mechanic but the different Legions and how they adapt to the different foes and their attacks is real and most important component in place.What I really liked was the "Police work" between the combat. It gave the game a sense of immersion and connection that elevated the game.I love the graphics and art and the soundtrack is on point.On the other hand, I felt like the in game lasted only a couple of days and not months like the story tells you. There are great scenarios there, different gaming zones, different factions that we should be allowed to stay longer with, follow a little more of their story. I know there is the "File 12" to revisit but I would like to have been forced to take a slower pace during the investigations.Finally, as an adult, a game that don't let you save when you want is big problem. Ok the check points where there and they where not that big, but sometimes I refrained playing the game because I wasn't sure how much time I had to play.I give this game a solid 8/10, and definitely gonna give this a second playthrough.

It's definitely a PlatinumGames title; with their typical ratio of great ideas and terrible ones, and their customary grandiose, over-ambitious design that they can't quite pull-off, but probably could if they could just reign it in a touch. But it's fun and stylish and overall I'd give it 8/10.